Posts Tagged ‘ohio health insurance’

If you currently have an Ohio health insurance policy, then you probably pay a “copay” on your office visit coverage.The “copay” is the dollar amount you must pay for your visit to the doctor. Normally, copays range from $15-$40. Sometimes they’re as much as $50. And if you have a deductible that applies, you pay almost the entire amount.

If your doctor does not participate in your plan, your out-of-pocket expense will be higher. A lot higher. That’s because your insurer (probably Anthem, UnitedHealthOne or Medical Mutual) will not (and can not) contractually force the provider to charge a lower rate. And that difference can be substantial.

Verify Your Provider

So what can you do? Perhaps your best course of action is to ensure that when you are treated for a sickness or an illness, you have previously verified that your doctor (or Urgent Care facility) is considered “in-network.” It will likely mean the difference of paying about $30 vs. perhaps paying more than $100. A specialist visit will result in greater savings. An unexpected emergency room visit could be extremely expensive if you go outside of your plan.

Ohio Healthcare Networks

Perhaps the biggest price difference are ER or hospital bills. If you do not use a network provider, the difference in your actual bill could easily be thousands of dollars (or more). If you are scheduling a surgery, there should be ample time to determine the status of the hospital. You can also call them directly or easily view online a provider list from your carrier. It’s common that you can use out-of-state facilities, as long as network-verification occurs before treatment.

What About An Emergency?

If your treatment is an emergency and life-threatening, typically it will not matter where you are treated. It will be considered an “in-network” expense. For example, if you live in Toledo, and are vacationing in Florida, let’s assume you suddenly have an appendicitis attack. Of course, your vacation is ruined, but that’s a minor point!

If/when you are rushed by ambulance to the hospital, naturally, you don’t have time to research where you are going to be taken and what providers the facility accepts. You’re probably going to have your surgery at the closest hospital or trauma center. And that’s precisely the proper procedure.

It Pays To Stay In-Network

Your entire stay, including, surgery, room and board, anesthesia, doctors visits and consultations etc…should be classified as a network visit by your health insurer in Ohio. As a result, regardless whether you have a high-deductible plan or a PPO with little or no deductible, you should not be subject to a higher cost for going “outside” of the provider network. You can also verify this procedure with your carrier.

The type of coverage you have, whether it is a group, individual, catastrophic or comprehensive, will still cost you less when you utilize your provider list. If you have an HSA for 2013 or later, the same set of rules apply.

Size Matters!

Yes, the size of the insurer will often have a direct correlation on the number of providers you will have access to. For example, as you might expect, Anthem and UnitedHealthcare have the largest number of physician, specialist and hospital options in the state. Medical Mutual and Aetna aren’t far behind and Humana still maintains many participants. Kaiser and Summa Health are regional carriers and focus more on the Northern portion of the state.

Are you concerned about the safety of your insurance here in Ohio? Should you be concerned? Probably. You pay (and sometimes invest) a lot of money throughout your lifetime on insurance coverage so you deserve to know where the money is going.

A $170 billion federal bailout is the only thing keeping insurance heavyweight AIG afloat. And many other companies are losing millions of dollars every quarter. Insurance companies invest heavily in the stock market and real-estate market…which have generated massive losses in the last 12 months.

But…don’t worry. Your policy is quite safe! The Ohio Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association was created to protect policyholders, up to specific limits, against financial failure of an insurance company licensed to sell those types of policies in the state.

·Policies sold by insurers not licensed to do business in Ohio are not included.

·The Guarantee Association can provide this coverage because it collects money, through assessments from insurance carriers here in the Buckeye state.

·The Ohio Department of Insurance regulates the Association.

Many consumers are worried about the impact of “The Affordable Care Act” on their personal and business health insurance policies. Although rates are expected to rise when the Ohio Healthcare Exchange is fully functioning in 2014, you can help protect yourself by staying informed and applying for the right plan.

We Research Ohio Insurers

An experienced and reliable website (like ours) will guide you through the process of evaluating, comparing and purchasing a plan, so you can be certain your coverage is with a safe carrier. There are plenty of questionable policies that have low ratings or are simply not rated at all.

When purchasing a policy, make certain the carrier is an “A” rated company and licensed to do business in Ohio. We can always research and verify the background of any company. If you have any questions regarding the safety of any company, please contact us.

Deductibles. Copays. Co-Insurance. Maximums. And that’s just the tip of the insurance iceberg! If you’re not confused by all of these terms, then you’re one of the lucky ones. Ohio Health Insurance basics can be learned.

It is important to understand, that a slight difference of the “co-insurance” in your policy, could save you thousands of dollars. Or…cost you thousands of dollars! Different deductibles can also have a tremendous impact on the rates.

The short video below may help you understand a little bot more about medical coverage and how to find the best plans. It’s short and quick.

Evidently, you know where to buy your Ohio health insurance, because you’re here! Ohioquotes.com is the consumer favorite for affordable medical coverage in the Buckeye state. If you don’t currently have insurance, or you need to find a lower price, you have come to the right place. But there are hundreds…perhaps thousands of websites that will provide rates.

So…what makes this website so special? Let’s start with the plans that are presented to you. Only quality companies are considered. You know…the reputable ones, such as Anthem Blue Cross, Aetna, UnitedHealthCare, Medical Mutual, Celtic and Humana. You’ll never find any type of “discount plan” or any carrier that I wouldn’t use for my own coverage.

Comparing plans can be very confusing. But we try to simplify the process for you. Side-by-side comparisons allow you to select the coverages that you need and choose the best fit. And if you apply for coverage, you’ll get plenty of help. Your short application can be completed online, via fax or by mail. And a live person is generally available to assist you. We actually answer emails past midnight!

Keeping the same doctors (if you change policies) is important. We will check all PPO, HMO and Point-Of-Service networks to find your physicians so you know which carriers will allow you to use the same providers.Sometimes, regional companies, such as Kaiser and SummaCare may not have strong representation in all areas of the state.

When Changing Plans, We’ll Check Your Provider Network

Purchasing a policy is not quite the same as it was a few years ago. As a result of The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), beginning in 2014, the number of available companies and plans will drastically reduce. Instead of choosing among “Value,” “Copay” and “Premier” types of policies, you’ll pick a Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum option.

Of course, we will be your trusted resource for explaining differences in these “Medal” plans, explaining your federal tax subsidy (and how much it will reduce your cost) and reviewing and recommending the best options for you, and the easiest way to apply for coverage.

Should you keep your existing plan or replace it with one of the new guaranteed-approval Medal plans? It depends on many variables, including your income, risk-tolerance, age and number of dependents you have. There will also be affordable contracts that will be offered outside of the “Marketplace.” Still state and federally approved, these may be big money-savers.

But what about the rates? Are they truly the lowest available prices? You betcha! And that’s a guarantee. Premiums are regulated by the Department of Insurance. So, you won’t find better offers. And we’ll take the extra time to make sure the plan you purchase is the right fit. You’ll be able to use the coverages that are important to you, and avoid paying for items that you don’t need and would never use.

With 30 years of experience, we have helped thousands of customers. When you buy Ohio medical coverage, whether it’s an online link we provide or by fax or email, we research your options like no other website or broker. We understand each plan and will simplify the application process and get you covered as quickly as possible. And of course, when you request a comparison at the top of the page, the quote is free!

Get the most recent unbiased reviews of Ohio health insurance plans available to consumers. Coverages range from high-deductible catastrophic plans to comprehensive policies with small out-of-pocket expenses. Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are also available and growing in popularity.

And The newly-created Exchanges will bring four new metal plans to consumers- Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Your premium could be impacted by an immediate rebate if your income falls within the specified guidelines. Yes, there are a lot of policy options here in the Buckeye state.

We review popular Ohio policies each month. This month, all four selected plans are readily available, easily underwritten, and quite affordable. They’ll likely meet your budget and be much less expensive than most other options.

Find The Cheapest Medical Plans In Ohio

Anthem Value Plan Two office visits per person (per year) are included, subject to a $30 copay. Brand-name formulary and and Generic non-formulary prescription are included. Like many Ohio health insurance plans, some preventative care and diagnostic services are included. And a generous $5 million lifetime limit is also built into the policy.

UnitedHealthCare Copay Saver Plan One of many Ohio health insurance plans offered by UnitedHealthCare. A $35 copay applies to the two allowed office visits per person per year (including wellness). Generic prescriptions are subject to a $15 copay while non-generic prescriptions are not covered. The lifetime limit is $3 million and maternity coverage can be added as a rider.

Aetna Preventative And Hospital Care 3000 Perhaps Aetna’s most affordable Ohio health insurance plan, this policy is HSA compatible. The principal feature of the policy is the outstanding preventative care coverage. Annual routine GYN exams, routine physicals, and Paps/Mammograms are not subject to a deductible. A $1 million lifetime limit is included.

UnitedHealthCare Saver 80 Plan One of the least expensive Ohio health insurance plans, this plan is designed to cover catastrophic claims. Major medical and emergency room charges are covered, along with most routine hospital expenses. Office visits are not covered, although a drug prescription discount card in included. $3 million of lifetime limit coverage per person is included in each policy.

Affordable Ohio health insurance plans are available, and often can be approved in less than a week. The application process is simple and physicals are rarely required.

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UPDATE: August 2011. It’s hard to believe it’s been two years since I wrote this short post. Many plans have changed. The Anthem Value plan has been replaced by the “SmartSense” plan. You can easily view Anthem Ohio Rates on our website.

Also, The UnitedHealthCare Copay Saver plan is now referred to as the Copay Value plan. The rates are still very attractive.

Lifetime caps have also been eliminated on all plans.

UPDATE: July 2013. Many additional changes have occurred. There is no longer an annual or lifetime cap on the amount of money an insurer will pay for a covered claim. Also, the number of available policies that will be offered to residents in the state will reduce when the first Exchange Open Enrollment takes place in October (runs to end of February). When getting a quote from our website, all of these changes will be reflected in the plans you view.